Communicative Subtitling – Six Levels of Functionality

Two Traditions in Subtitling
Verbatim – goal and ideal word for word, but, alas...
Communicative

The Verbatim Tradition – The Origins
Intralingual subtitling; deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) audience
Political motivation: ”No sensorship!”
Receptional factor: Synchrony between subtitles and lip movement
Focus on microlevel equivalence even in interlingual subtitling (goal and ideal)
Reported problems in the reception (e.g. reading speed)

The Communicative Tradition – The Origins
Subtitling practices in the traditional subtitling countries (particularly the Nordic countries)
Guiding principle: The reception of subtitled AV content vs. spoken AV content (whether by hearing or DHH audience)
Focus on holistic correspondence & viewing experience vs. Microlevel equivalence on verbal level

A Not So Untypical Case
of Communicative Subtitling
Snap out of it! - Kakista ulos! (Spit it out!)
(Magnolia, DVD)
=> No semantic equivalence on the verbal level

10 Minutes of a German Comedy Subtitled into Finnish
13/96 TT lines – No semantic correspondence
11 ST lines – No translation in TT
75/96 TT lines – Partial adaptation
8/96 TT lines – Semantic correspondence

Subtitling as Translation & Communication
– Theoretical Foundations, Part 1
Teleological concept of subtitling as a form of translation (Vuoristo; Toury; functionalists, such as Nord, Vermeer)
Communication precedes language
Linguistic communication
Purpose
Time & Place
Six Levels of Functionality (Vuoristo 1982)
Context-dependent
Applies to all translation

What is Special About Subtitling?
– Theoretical Foundations, Part 2
The nature of audiovisual texts
Media of emotions => viewing experience
The verbal element AV-context-specific vs. context-dependent
in terms of meaning, function & style
AV context part of source text & target text (cf. Zabalbeascoa 2008)
Highly target communication oriented
<= paramount communicative function: viewing experience
<= conditions for the reception of subtitled AV content
Subtitling solutions highly specific to not only the target language and the target culture but also the target text & medium
Microlevel, verbal equivalence not the goal nor the ideal

Communicative vs. Verbatim
- The Task
Image-Verbal-Sound Image Line Sound
ST ST
Subtitle Subtitle TT = Subtitled Film TT = Subtitles

Another Definition
The task is to create a subtitled script
for specific audiovisual material
elements from the entire source text
ST TT
specific target language, target culture,
& target medium

Two Different AV Texts
Spoken Film (ST) Subtitled Film (TT)
Shared functionality
- Communication
- AV message

Six Levels of Functionality
Socio-culture
Action
Communication
AV Message
(AV) Textuality
Verbal language
- hierarchical
- interdependent

Example –
Role of the Verbal Element in the Subtitled Film
GE: Da unten auf dem Kalbfell ist noch ein Plätzchen frei.
(EN: There is still some room on the calf skin.)
FI: Tuolla vasikannahkataljalla on vielä vähän tilaa.
Finnish subtitle:
Istumaan. (Do sit down.)
(Der bewegte Mann; Yle)

Levels of Functionality
- Example of Hierarchy
Yeah, and now it shows up at the same time as an anthrax outbreak.
Doesn't sound very likely.
Nyt tauteja esiintyy yhtä aikaa.
Kumma juttu. (Verbatim: Funny thing. That’s funny/weird.)
(Canadian TV Series, Regenesis; Yle)
=> The style of the subtitle was determined by the levels of
1) communication (programme/text genre: fiction/dialogue)
2) AV message (the style of the character)

Levels of Functionality
– Example of Interdependence
Socio-culture
Action & Actors – e.g. Image of the TV Company
Communication – e.g. Viewing experience
AV message – e.g. unclear (formulation of) message
Textuality – e.g. poor cohesion or coherence
Language – ungrammatical or unidiomatic language

Benefits of Thinking
on Functionality Levels
Students learn to
understand the complexity of subtitling (and all translation; incl. conventions viz à viz context-specific ”interventions”)
conceptualize the subtitling process and their subtitling solutions
think holistically, i.e., communicatively
focus on the functionality of the TT (subtitled film/TV programme) for the target audience, beoynd the meanings in the ST (original spoken film/TV programme)
Combine theory and practice
Discuss and argue for their solutions; give founded feedback (professionality)
Demand reasonable terms and conditions for their work (professionality)
Do research with a holistic tool

Further Implications for Teaching, Part 1
Film & TV studies from the point of view of AV translation
The nature of AV texts
media of emotions (Hietala 2007) => viewing experience
Interplay of the various modalities (Zabalbeascoa 2008, Chaume 2004, Gambier 2013)
Script writing (e.g. Martínez-Sierra 2012)
The medium: Film, TV, DVD, video games, etc.
Production process, production of manuscripts, etc. (e.g. Cattrysse & Gambier 2008)
Genres, including text genres (functions, norms & conventions)
Analysis of dialogue (e.g. Remael 2004, based on Linell, P.)
Subtitles as a text genre (functions, norms & conventions)

Further Implications for Teaching, Part 2
Hands-on exercises
Analysis of professionally subtitled AV content
Initial focus on one level or aspect at a time
Intralingual subtitling
Subtitling of ”Greek” AV content into L1 Language
Subtitling from L2 Language into L1 Language

Selected Bibliography
Cattrysse, P. & Gambier, Y. (2008). Screenwriting and translating screenplays. In Díaz-Cintas, J. (Ed.), The Didactics of Audiovisual Translation. 39-55. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Chaume, F. (2004). Film Studies and Translation Studies: Two Disciplines at Stake in Audiovisual Translation. Meta, XLIX(1), 12–24.
Gambier, Y. (2013). The Position of Audiovisual Translation Studies. In Millan-Varela, C. & Bartrina F. (Eds.). The Routledge Handbook of Translation studies. 45–59. London and New York: Routledge.
Martínez-Sierra, J.J. (2012). On the Relevance of Script Writing Basics in Audiovisual Translation Practice and Training. Cadernos de Tradução nº 29, 145-163, Florianópolis - 2012/1
Remael, A. (2008). Screenwriting, scripted and unscripted language. What do subtitlers need to know? In Díaz-Cintas, J. (Ed.), The Didactics of Audiovisual Translation. 57–67. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Zabalbeascoa, P. (2008). The nature of the audiovisual text and its parameters. In Díaz Cintas, J. (ed.), The Didactics of Audiovisual Translation. 21–37.

Thank you!
Спасибо!
Q & A